Deaf Education
The current situation...
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Diagnosis of hearing loss or deafness happens as
late as 4 years old, in some cases 8 years old!
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Dear children often enter Grade R with little or no
language.
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1 in 10 babies in SA is born with some degree of
hearing-loss.
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The average Deaf school-leaver leaves school with a
reading age of 8.
75% of the Deaf Community is functionally illiterate.
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70% of the Deaf Community is unemployed.
Only 12 schools for the Deaf offer Grade 12 and are
concentrated in 3 provinces.
Only 2 FET Colleges in South Africa employ Sign
Language Interpreters.
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600 000 South Africans use South African Sign
Language as their primary language.
Only 14% of teachers in schools for the Deaf can
sign fluently.
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South African Sign Language is not a school subject.
What can be done to avoid this situation?
Newborn hearing screening should be LAW as it is in many
other countries.
Early Intervention should be immediately available to
parents of children with hearing loss so there are no
language delays.
Early Intervention will ensure the Deaf child has a
language foundation on which to commence schooling and
literacy can progress to grade-level.
More schools for the Deaf need to be funded and
supported to offer Grade 12 which will ensure more Deaf
people have a Grade 12 certificate and can enter
tertiary education and find employment.
FET Colleges need to budget for the employment of South
Africa Sign Language interpreters thus giving Deaf
students access to the education pathway.
Teachers need to receive specialist training in South
African Sign Language and Deaf Education.
South African Sign Language must be implemented as a
subject in schools.
Downloads
Deaf Learners & Their Education Rights, Is South Africa Listening? (111kb)
Summary of Deaf Learners Their Education Rights Is South Africa Listening? (790kb)
National Deaf Awareness
Month Information Pack by Ingrid Parkin
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Hands in Motion
Posters R70.00 (A1 size)
Card packs R70.00 each (box of 52 cards with instructions on games to play)